Israel Closes Down Palestinian Weekly

Israeli authorities closed down the Palestinian weekly Al-Awda Monday on grounds that it is guided and funded by terrorist organizations.

The magazine, published in East Jerusalem, is known to reflect the views of the mainstream Palestine Liberation Organization headed by Yasir Arafat. It appears in both Arabic and English.

Al-Awda is edited by the same people who ran the Palestinian Press Service, shut down by the Israelis last month.

Asked if the closure was not anti-democratic, the Jerusalem district commissioner who gave the orders said, “It is our duty to protect democracy against those who work against our democracy.”

Several weeks ago, the Israeli authorities closed down the Hebrew periodical Derckh Hamitzoz, which is known for its extreme left-wing views. Its editors were arrested on suspicion of security offenses.

One of them, Yaacov Ben-Efrat, in prison for the past 15 days, had his detention extended for another eight days by a Petach Tikva magistrate Monday.